Panaji, Dec 10 (IANS): Goa BJP president Sadanand Shet Tanavade on Friday chided the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) leadership to keep their candidates under "lock and key", amid allegations that the ruling party was trying to poach election candidates from the regional party.

"BJP does not poach anybody's candidates. If people want to safeguard their candidates, they should keep them safe by padlocking them with a big Godrej lock," Tanavade told a press conference on Friday.

The state BJP president was responding to allegations levelled by MGP MLA and former Deputy Chief Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, who had alleged that the ruling BJP was trying to poach some of its candidates.

"We are not interested in poaching (MGP) candidates. He should protect his own candidates," Tanavade also said.

The BJP over the last few weeks has inducted a steady stream of politicians from the Congress, MGP as well as the Goa Forward party. Since 2017, 14 Congress MLAs have quit the opposition party to join the BJP.

The MGP was in alliance with the BJP from 2017-2019 and the regional party is now in talks with the Trinamool Congress to form a pre-poll alliance ahead of the 2022 state assembly polls.